The Everything Chinese Cookbook (34 page)

1 pound beef steak, flank or sirloin, shredded

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil

2 green onions

3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 large red onion, chopped

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

¼ teaspoon chili paste with garlic

1. With the beef, mix in the soy sauce and baking soda in that order, using your fingers to mix in the baking soda. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and marinate the beef for another 30 minutes.
   
2. Cut the green onions into 1½ -inch slices along the diagonal.
   
3. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the beef. Stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
   
4. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the wok. When oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the red onion, and stir-fry until soft and translucent. Stir in the dark soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, and chili paste with garlic. Add the beef. Stir in the green onions. Mix everything together and cook for a few more minutes on medium heat, making sure the beef is cooked through, and serve hot.
   

½ pound beef

½ cup water

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ teaspoon salt

3–4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

1 slice ginger, minced

½ cup mung bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

1. Cut the beef into thin slices. Marinate if desired.
   
2. Combine the water, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, and set aside.
   
3. Mix the eggs with ¼ teaspoon salt. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, scramble the eggs and remove from the wok.
   
4. Add 2 more tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the beef and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and set aside.
   
5. Add more oil if necessary. Add the ginger and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the bean sprouts. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the beef and the scrambled egg. Mix everything together and serve hot.
   

Carrot Flowers

Although the Chinese rarely eat raw vegetables, they are a popular ingredient for garnishes. To make a quick and easy garnish, take a 3-inch-long slice of carrot and cut 4 V-shaped notches at 90° intervals. To finish, slice the carrot into thin “flowers.”

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1¼ teaspoons sugar, divided

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ pound flank steak, shredded

½ green bell pepper

½ red bell pepper

½ cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

¼ teaspoon chili paste

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

teaspoon Szechwan peppercorns, roasted and ground

1. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, ¼ teaspoon sugar, and baking soda to the beef. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
   
2. Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut into thin slices. Combine the chicken stock, dark soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar and set aside.
   
3. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the beef and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
   
4. Add 1 tablespoon oil if necessary. Add the garlic, ginger, and chili paste. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the green peppers, stir-fry briefly, and add the red peppers. Stir-fry the peppers until they have a bright color and are tender.
   
5. Add the sauce to the middle of the wok and bring to a boil. Stir in the sesame oil. Add the beef. Sprinkle the Szechwan peppercorns over. Mix everything through and serve hot.
   

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, divided

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 pound sirloin or flank steak, shredded

cup dried orange peel

1 green onion

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon chili paste

3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

2 slices ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1. Add 1 teaspoon rice wine and baking soda, using your fingers to add the baking soda, to the beef. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
   
2. Cut the dried orange peel into thin slices. Cut the green onion into 1½ -inch slices on the diagonal.
   
3. Combine the soy sauce, sugar, chili paste, and 1 teaspoon rice wine. Set aside.
   
4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the beef. Stir-fry until it is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
   
5. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger, garlic, green onion, and dried orange peel. Stir-fry until the orange peel is aromatic. Add the sauce in the middle and bring to a boil. Add the beef back in. Mix everything and stir-fry until the beef is cooked through, and serve hot.
   

Orange Peel Cold Cure

Have a cold? Why not try an orange peel cure? For centuries, Chinese medical practitioners have recommended dried orange peel to treat everything from colds to insomnia. Whatever their medicinal value, there is no doubt that the peel contains more vitamin C than any other part of the orange.